


And That's The Way It Should Be

by ofperspicacity



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Colors au, Daichi's parents are OCs, He has no idea what he's in for, M/M, Soulmates AU, Third Years as First Years, typical DaiSuga I guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-25
Updated: 2015-04-30
Packaged: 2018-03-19 12:50:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3610704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofperspicacity/pseuds/ofperspicacity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>AU where you only see your colors when you meet your soulmate (and you lose them when they die)</i>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Everything in Sawamura Daichi's life was completely average, thank you very much, until the day he saw his colors and Sugawara Koushi was to blame.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from "Bright" by Echosmith | Find me on tumblr at ofperspicacity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm splitting this up into two parts because (1) the length is spiraling out of my control and (2) I have no chill.
> 
> This was only supposed to be a 2,000 word oneshot, I swear.

If you asked him, Sawamura Daichi would say that his life had fallen neatly into place exactly as expected until that day. He played a sport he truly loved, he had the best friends he could ask for, and his family loved and supported him no matter what. He didn’t have his colors yet, but his mother and father said that, of course, it was for the best. Someday when he was older he’d meet a beautiful girl, his vision would be flooded with color, and they’d be disgustingly happy together. It was the natural next step in a life like his.

The day started out completely normally. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and squinted against the bright light he’d just flicked on, shuffling through his morning routine. He glared into his closet for a few moments before finally pulling on his uniform shirt and pants. He gratefully dug into the eggs and toast with jam his mother had waiting for him next to a steaming cup of tea.

“Today is your first day with the volleyball team, isn’t it?” She asked, peering at him over the rim of her teacup. 

He nodded with a wide grin. “Yeah. I’m really looking forward to meeting the team.” 

“I’m sure they’ll be friendly.” She smiled. “Good luck today, Daichi.” She reached out a hand to gently ruffle his hair, receiving an exasperated sigh in return.

“Mom,” he whined in half-hearted protest, grabbing his bag as he swallowed the last lukewarm dregs of tea. She chuckled and shook her head.

“Have a good day,” She called after him as he ducked out the door. “I love you.”

Daichi loved the early morning walks to school. Everything was so calm and peaceful, and the last remnants of the sunrise painted the sky with a cheery light gray smear. It was just another reason he _knew_ Karasuno was the right school for him. It was within walking distance, they had a volleyball team he’d be proud to play on, and he’d already met a number of people he’d gladly consider his friends. He only hoped he could add his volleyball teammates to that list.

The day seemed to drag on. He was practically itching to get back to playing volleyball, and his curiosity about his teammates had almost gotten the better of him. He wasn’t even hungry enough to finish the bento his mother had packed him and ended up poking at it and daydreaming about volleyball instead. His team in middle school hadn’t been the most dedicated, but he had high hopes about this one. The prospect of being on a team that would make it past the preliminary matches of a tournament was enough to set his stomach abuzz all over again.

Finally his last class came to an end – and it was a good thing, too, considering the fact that if he tapped his foot anxiously on the ground any harder, there was a good chance the girl who sat in front of him would turn around and do more than shoot him another murderous look. He mumbled an apology in her general direction before he was off, almost jogging through the hallways until a teacher’s reprimand forced him to slow his pace.

When he stepped into the gymnasium, he took a few moments to close his eyes and absorb everything, inhaling the familiar scents of floor wax and always-lingering sweat. When he opened them he was met with the smiling faces of a few upperclassmen.

“Hey, you must be the third first year!” greeted one of them, glancing down at the paper he held in his hand. “Sawamura Daichi?”

“Yes.” Daichi confirmed, trying his best to contain the excitement he felt quivering in his middle. The upperclassman grinned.

“It’s nice to meet you, Sawamura-kun. I’m Arikawa Kaito, captain of the Karasuno boys’ volleyball team. We’re happy to have you.”

“Thank you, Arikawa-senpai!” He blurted. The older boy nodded in response, turning to introduce him to the rest of the team. The four first years and three second years were introduced, leaving only Daichi’s fellow first years. 

“This is Azumane Asahi,” the captain introduced, and a tall boy stepped forward giving a nervous smile and slight wave of his hand. Daichi returned the wave and smile, contemplating his anxious persona. There should be no room for that here.

“And this,” Arikawa went on, “Is Sugawara Koushi.” Daichi finally looked away from Azumane who was beginning to fidget under his sharp gaze, and found himself looking into a face adorned with a brilliant smile. Blinding, actually. Daichi blinked a time or two, and the smile faltered as their gazes met. Something was wrong. The boy’s hair was gray, yes, but everything surrounding it was… not. It only took a few seconds for the realization to come crashing down on him, flattening his lungs until he felt like he was gasping for air. He glanced around for a few desperate moments, in search of a more plausible source of what could only be his colors. There was none. His gaze finally returned to the boy who looked just about as baffled as he felt.

“Hey… are you two all right? You both look like you’ve seen a ghost.” One of the second years – Daichi couldn’t remember which – finally spoke up. A silent agreement passed between Daichi and the other boy and Daichi gulped.

“I’m fine.” He squeaked out in what he hoped was a normal sounding tone.

“Sorry.” The boy added, sending another curious glance Daichi’s way. “I guess I was sort of spacing out for a bit.” 

Everything looked so different, it was no wonder Daichi felt off. He’d seen his colors, and they were everything he could have possibly hoped they’d be and more, but the person responsible was another matter entirely. He felt vaguely as though an elephant had taken residence in his chest and was using his stomach as a footstool, and the combination of that sensation with the achingly vibrant colors left Daichi fumbling and disoriented.

If his other teammates noticed that he was acting strangely, they didn’t mention it. Maybe, he surmised to his chagrin, they thought that he was just naturally a poor volleyball player. He determined to shake this weird funk and be back to his normal self by their next practice. He shoved the niggling conviction that he’d eventually have to deal with the colors and the boy who’d caused them to the back of his mind.

When practice was finally over – the most anticipated part of his day reduced to two hours of near torture – the boy, Sugawara, turned as if to approach him. Daichi panicked and, before the boy could even open his mouth, he shot out the door of the gym, trying to calm his pounding heart and completely missing the look of hurt and confusion on the boy’s face.

The sun still shone as he walked home, but his mind was in a fog. When he got home – his front door, as it turned out, wasn’t white at all, but a very pale _something else_ \- he made a beeline for his room, ignoring his mother’s greeting.

“Daichi?” She’d begun without looking up. “How was-” her sentence trailed off at the sound of his bedroom door slamming firmly behind him. 

“Daichi?” She was outside of his room now, knocking softly. “Honey, are you all right? Did something happen at school today?”

“I just have a lot of homework.” The lie came easily. He heard her shifting around for a few moments, probably debating whether to press further, before her retreating footsteps faded down the stairs. 

He had no intention of doing any homework. He was torn between slowly making his way around his room to greedily take in the colors and pressing his face into his pillow to scream as loud as he could. He settled for laying back on his bed, eyes clenched shut against the contrast that was quickly giving him a headache. He saw Sugawara’s wide, unblinking gaze instead. He scoffed softly to himself.

This was not the way things were supposed to go. He knew he’d heard of it before, of a boy or a girl having a soulmate of the same gender, but it didn’t happen very often and he’d been so certain it wouldn’t happen to him. He didn’t think he felt _that way_ about other boys. He’d felt something in his middle when their eyes met, but it was more a clench of terror than his heart leaping in his chest. So why? That was the word that kept repeating itself in his mind. Why him? Why that boy? Was it a mistake? Was it possible to see your colors without meeting your soulmate? Were the two really mutually inclusive? A quick, fervent google search resulted in – nothing. As far as anyone could tell, the two were decidedly linked.

What should he do now? He couldn’t very well ignore the boy for the rest of his life as he had that afternoon, common sense told him that. When his mother called him for supper, he begrudgingly decided that he had no choice but to confide in his parents. They’d find out sooner or later, anyway. 

His mother had made his favorite, but he felt his stomach turn at the thought of eating even that. Instead, he pushed the food around on his plate, slowly building up the courage to say what needed to be said.

“Mom, Dad?” He blurted at the same time his mother cautiously spoke his name.

His father put his chopsticks down next to his plate. “What is it, son?” Concern was evident on his face. Daichi’s mother must have told him how strangely he’d been acting when he came home from school. His father’s eyes were much warmer than he remembered. It was a shade not much different than the gray he was accustomed to, but richer somehow. His mother’s, on the other hand, were a bright, kind shade similar to that of the front door. Every one of these colors had a name, but he didn’t know any of them.

“I got my colors at school today.” He finally blurted, watching as his parents’ eyes widened and their mouths fell slightly open.

“Daichi…” His mother paused. “I – is that what you were so upset about? Did you meet your soulmate? Isn’t she what you expected? You know it takes time to get to know someone.” She shared a quick glance with his father.

“Well…” Daichi coughed. “That’s not exactly it. I – my soulmate is on my volleyball team.” His father nearly choked on the water he’d been sipping, leaving the glass at his lips as he watched his son with wide eyes.

“I thought Karasuno has a separate girls’ volleyball team…” His father said slowly, finally lowering the glass back to the table. 

“They do!” Daichi looked from his father to his mother, whose expression was frozen and didn’t offer much support. “It’s – my soulmate is a guy, okay? And I don’t know what I’m supposed to do about it!” He felt frustrated tears well up in his eyes for the first time.

“Daichi…” His mother finally spoke up, resting a gentle hand on his forearm. “You know we’ll love you no matter what.” She shot a pointed glance to his father.

“Of course we will, son.” His father quickly agreed. “It’s a bit of a shock, but not unheard of.”

“I know!” Daichi said a little too loudly. “I know.” He repeated in a whisper. “That’s not really the problem.”

“This boy.” His mother spoke gently. “How does he feel about all of this?”

Daichi hung his head. “I don’t – I don’t really know.” He admitted. “I kind of ran off before I really had a chance to talk to him about it. I was freaked out, and I don’t think – I don’t feel _that way_ about other guys.” His cheeks were burning. This was the last conversation he’d ever thought he’d have to have with his parents. “What if he does, you know? What if he actually wants to be my soulmate and spend the rest of his life with me and I just can’t feel the same?” He began to feel intensely guilty for running away instead of facing him. He’d probably already caused more than enough hurt.

“That’s just something you’ll have to find out.” His father rested a hand on his shoulder. “The two of you are the only people who can decide how this ends. You know you can’t avoid him forever.”

“I know.” Daichi agreed miserably. Even if he didn’t think he’d fall in love with the guy, he still wasn’t looking forward to breaking his heart. 

“Sweetie…” His mother spoke slowly, patching together her words as she went. He didn’t miss the way his father rested his hand over hers in a silent show of support. “A soulmate is a very special person. The one person who can relate to you in a way no one else can. I don’t know why yours turned out to be another boy, but I do know that it was no accident. Daichi – promise me you’ll give the boy a chance?”

He gave a quick, firm nod. He found himself desperately wishing he could believe his mother – if it was no mistake, why did it feel so much like one?

* * *

The next day, Daichi found himself dreading volleyball practice. Again, he poked at his bento rather than eating it, but the swirling in his stomach could be described as anything but excitement. The poor girl who sat in front of him in his last class of the day looked about ready to physically pin him to his desk to stop his fidgeting. He didn’t even have the strength to be apologetic today. He shuffled slowly to practice, thinking that maybe if he was too late, the captain would lock the gym doors and he would be free to go home. Instead, as he neared the gym Arikawa poked his head out the door and shouted, “Sawamura! Let’s go! We don’t have all day!” With a heavy sigh, he picked up his pace and ducked into the gym, meeting Sugawara’s gaze for a few fleeting moments before looking away with burning cheeks. He didn’t take the time to analyze the look on the other boy’s face.

Practice went a little better than the day before. That, or Daichi was just so distracted that he didn’t notice how shaky his plays were, how inconsistent his serves, how half-hearted his spikes. He carefully observed the other players in an attempt to take his mind off the conversation he knew was coming after practice. The captain was, in Daichi’s mind, everything a captain should be; a well-rounded player and constant encourager, tough but kind. The third year ace was the most powerful spiker Daichi had ever played with, and to his surprise Azumane, his fellow first year, showed an incredible amount of potential. The captain even commented on it. The libero, also a third year, went to much greater lengths to get beneath the ball than the libero on his middle school team ever had. He admired that. Spiking the setter’s toss had taken an attempt or two, but when he got it down the familiar sting on his palm even brought a smile to his face.

To his surprise, Sugawara expressed a desire to play as setter. The current setter seemed pleased and offered to give him some pointers, and Sugawara beamed at the prospect. One thing he had to say about the guy, Daichi admitted to himself, he had a killer smile. When Sawamura noticed his gaze on him he sent an uncertain smile his way, and Daichi was quick to avert his eyes, hoping the boy hadn’t seen the sudden dusting of pink that colored his cheeks. This was ridiculous.

Finally practice was over, the gym was cleaned, and Daichi took a deep breath to steel himself for what was coming next. He was determined not to run away this time, no matter how strong the desire was to sprint all the way home, not stopping until he’d reached the safety of his bedroom. 

Azumane was talking to Sugawara outside the gym doors. Daichi cursed him under his breath, wanting to get this over with before he lost his resolve. 

“I was wondering if you could set for me sometime, Sugawara-san.” He was saying, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. “I mean, so I could practice my spikes.” 

Sugawara was quick to agree. “Sure, I’d like that.” He gave another one of those smiles. “The practice would be really helpful for me too, but I don’t know how good I am just yet.” He was almost apologetic. 

“Th-that’s okay!” Azumane was quick to assure. “I appreciate it. I’ll see you tomorrow, Sugawara-san!” He waved as he turned to go, pausing when he saw Daichi standing there. “Bye, Sawamura-san.” He said hastily, offering a hesitant smile that Daichi only half-heartedly returned.

“See you tomorrow.” He managed to squeak out, watching the boy’s retreating back before finally turning to look at Sugawara. The look in the boy’s eyes was one that he couldn’t quite place, and suddenly he couldn’t remember just what it was he’d planned to say in opening.

“Want to sit down?” Sugawara finally invited, gesturing to a low stone wall nearby. Daichi gladly obliged, carefully lowering himself to a seat before his shaking legs betrayed him. The boy sat as well, looking down at his hands for a few tense moments before beginning, “Sawamura-san…Yesterday-”

“I’m sorry I ran off.” Daichi blurted quickly, interrupting before he realized what he was doing. “I’m a coward, but…” He took a deep breath. “Sorry.” He mumbled lamely.

“It was a shock to me, too.” Sugawara said with a nervous chuckle, picking at a thread that had come loose from the hem of his shirt before finally looking up to meet Daichi’s gaze. “I know it’s… abnormal. 90% of soulmates are of opposite genders.” He rattled off the statistic. “But I’ve never been attracted to girls. I knew the chances of having a male soulmate who felt the way I do were slim to none, so it’s okay that you don’t. And I _do_ know that you don’t.” He said it so matter-of-factly that Daichi almost felt guilty. “I didn’t know whether my soulmate would be a girl or a guy, and I couldn’t decide which would be worse: Having a soulmate who I could never love, or a soulmate who could never love me. I guess that’s a moot point, because I knew the universe would decide for me.” He looked Daichi square in the face, and Daichi could only meet his gaze for a few moments before shifting his attention first to the tiny mole beneath his left eye, then to his own fingers.

“I guess it turned out to be the second option,” He said softly, “but I think I’m kind of glad.” Daichi wondered why this guy was actually _smiling_ at him while his heart was clearly breaking. “I’ve done a lot of research on soulmates.” He went on. “They don’t always end up in romantic relationships. Sometimes they just form platonic friendships, and sometimes… they end up going their separate ways.” His eyes took on a translucent quality at that. “If that’s what you want, well, I’ll respect that, but I guess I’m sort of soft. I always hoped my soulmate and I could become friends regardless.” He gave another one of those blinding smiles.

Daichi considered his words in silence for a few moments, taking a deep breath before he spoke. “Yesterday… I was confused. Scared. Kind of in denial, I guess.” He admitted apologetically, gritting his teeth at the almost imperceptible nod and kind half-smile sent his way. “But… I don’t want us to just go our separate ways.” He surprised himself by saying it, but he realized with a start that it was the truth. “I… my parents are soulmates. They’re amazing together. They just _fit_. I’ve always had great friends, but never someone like that. I couldn’t wait until the day I met my soulmate and found it. I don’t want to throw that away.” He felt his cheeks growing warm. “Maybe this isn’t what I expected, but if there’s one thing my parents taught me it’s that your soulmate is for you even when the whole world is against you. So… no matter what… I’m for you, Sugawara-san.” He hadn’t meant to let all of that tumble out, but there was just something about the boy that made it easy. Maybe that was what being soulmates was. He was surprised to see tears welling up in his eyes.

“My friends call me Suga.” The boy finally spoke up. “So… you can call me that, if you want. Sawamura-san.”

“Only if you’ll call me Daichi,” He replied almost shyly. They shared a comfortable smile. He glanced at the sun in the sky, surprised to find that it had already sunk so low. “I guess… I should be going.” He broke the almost awkward silence. “My parents will be expecting me. So, I’ll see you tomorrow, Suga?”

“Tomorrow.” He confirmed brightly. “Daichi.” Daichi’s name slide effortlessly from his lips. This time as Daichi walked home, he took the time to look around him, taking in the splashes of color blooming everywhere. Maybe he should feel disappointed or bitter that his soulmate hadn’t turned out to be the Love of His Life, but he found himself thinking that someone like Suga was just as agreeable.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I am so sorry that this is so late. A combination of life and writer's block got in the way. Fair warning that I never proofread enough so please ignore my tiny blunders. I'm not caught up with the manga, so anything that's inaccurate as a result I suppose can be chalked up to the fact that this is an AU.

Daichi swung his gym bag in a slow, careful circle at his side. He idly watched its trajectory, stripes he now recognized as blue blurring with black. 

“Daichi?” He jumped slightly at the sound of Suga’s voice, jerking his bag to a stop as he looked up to meet his soft brown gaze. “Sorry I took so long. Arikawa-senpai wanted to talk to me.” Daichi nodded, falling into step beside him. It was the oddest sensation. Sometimes he looked at Suga, his creamy complexion and the mole beneath his eye and that stubborn piece of hair that refused to lay flat against his head, and he’d known him forever. In the same breath the boy beside him was a complete stranger who he didn’t know the first thing about. It was a contradiction that fought for space in his chest and left his stomach in knots. This person was somehow a part of him though he didn’t even feel comfortable referring to him as his friend.

Apprehension wound its way through the cracks unbidden. They may be soulmates, but what if they didn’t actually _like_ each other? It was with a sinking stomach that he wondered, often at night as he drifted to sleep, if he’d made a mistake in promising to be there for Suga no matter what. 

If Suga held the same reservations, he hid them well. The boy would smile at him, reassure him when a spike went wrong, save a spot for him with Azumane at lunch, offer to help him with his math homework, or help him take down the nets after practice. The doubts Daichi felt didn’t seem to matter as much in those moments. 

“Do you think we should tell Azumane-san?” Suga broke the silence, startling Daichi from his thoughts. “You know… about us. He’s a nice guy. I think he deserves to know. Especially since if we all stick with the volleyball club, the three of us are going to be together for the next three years. Plus…” He looked almost apologetic. “It’s not like we’ll be able to hide it forever. We might as well start small.” 

Daichi nodded slowly. “I think it’s a good idea, as long as he can keep a secret. He’s such a goofball.” 

Suga shook his head and smiled at that. “He’s a nice guy, Daichi.” He repeated. “I just feel like we can trust him. He’d understand. I know it!” 

The next day at lunch, the three sat in comfortable silence, not even discussing volleyball as had become their habit. Daichi glanced at Suga out of the corner of his eye. It had been his idea, so Daichi sure wasn’t going to be the one to bring it up. “Ah, hey, Azumane-san…” Suga finally spoke up. “Can we tell you something?”

Azumane glanced between the two of them with his brow furrowed. “If you don’t want to sit with me anymore that’s okay. I mean… I don’t mind eating alone.” Suga ran a hand across his forehead with a sigh.

“No. It’s nothing like that. Good grief.” He looked at Daichi in exasperation and Daichi shrugged slightly in response. He’d told him from the beginning that Azumane was a goofball. “Listen. There’s just something we want you to know. Because you’re our friend.” Azumane nodded slowly, brow still puckered in confusion. “So… you remember that first day at the volleyball club? Well, Daichi and I saw our colors that day.” He paused, waiting for the realization to dawn on Azumane’s face. Slowly, his eyes widened and he pointed between the two of them.

“You… I mean, the two of you… you’re _soulmates_?” Suga and Daichi nodded in sync, and Azumane looked down at his hands. “I guess that explains why you always seem so… familiar with one another. Using first names and no honorifics and all that…” He glanced back up at them. “So you _do_ want to eat lunch alone?”

“No!” They both yelped at the same time. 

“Azumane-san…” Suga began kindly. “We just wanted to tell you because we thought you should know. Because you’re our _friend_. Things between us… we’re still trying to figure this whole ‘soulmates’ thing out. I guess it’s not exactly typical.” He chuckled weakly. “The two of us are friends. That’s it.” He glanced at Daichi who nodded in affirmation, forcing a smile to hopefully set Azumane more at ease. He was looking a little pale.

“Okay…” Azumane agreed, still sounding a little uncertain. 

“This doesn’t change anything.” Suga assured, thwacking Azumane’s shoulder in what was meant to be reassurance but made him wince. “The three of us are going to be great friends.” He beamed.

In spite of himself, Daichi had to admit that he truly did enjoy spending time with Azumane. As the friendship between them grew, he became Asahi to him. The three of them had begun to practice together at every opportunity, and he found himself amazed by his abilities, but also slightly fed up with his lack of confidence. Suga was steadily improving as a setter. Daichi was impressed by the amount of time and effort he put into studying the different plays and practicing them diligently. For some reason, Daichi couldn’t help feeling a small swell of pride when Suga perfected a new play or successfully completed a difficult toss. Daichi wouldn’t be at all surprised if Suga ended up taking the setter position someday, and he told him so one day as they were walking home.

“Oh, I don’t know about that.” Suga picked at the strap of his bag and glanced down at it instead of at Daichi. Maybe Daichi was imagining it, but he thought his cheeks had turned slightly pink. “I still have a lot to learn.”

“I’m serious though.” Daichi insisted. “You’re pretty amazing. I’d choose you to set for me any time.” 

Suga’s face turned even redder, and this time Daichi was sure he hadn’t imagined it. “You might be a little biased.” He said softly, a bemused smile on his face when he glanced up at Daichi. He suddenly realized what he’d actually said, and he quickly averted his gaze from Suga’s. He _would_ be the one to say something so embarrassing. “Bye, Daichi.” Suga finally said. Looking around, Daichi noticed that they’d reached the place where they normally parted without him realizing it. He raised his hand in farewell and stood in silence for a few moments, briefly calculating the chances of Suga forgetting any of what he’d just said before finally turning towards home.

* * *

Over the following weeks, Daichi found himself spending more and more time with Suga. Aside from volleyball practice and their own practices with Asahi, they continued to walk home together and even spent time at his house doing their homework together. Suga was really smart, and somehow when he explained the math problems to Daichi, they made so much more sense than they had in class. His mother always gushed about how polite Suga was to her, and how sweet and good-natured he was. Daichi found himself wondering at times just how someone like Suga had gotten paired up with someone like him. Guy or not, he just seemed entirely too _good_ to be wasted on Daichi. 

“Do you think Suga regrets being my soulmate?” He asked his mother one day over their evening snack. His mother looked at him in surprise. “I mean, maybe he’d be better off with someone else who’d appreciate him more?”

His mother set her tea cup down. “Honey, Sugawara-kun really cares about you, and I know you care about him too. The fact that you’re even asking me that is proof enough that you appreciate him. What brought this on?”

He shrugged. “I’ve just been thinking I guess. Maybe he wishes things were different.”

“Do _you_ wish things were different?” She turned his question back on him with a quirk of her eyebrow. “Now that you’ve had time to process things… is it possible that you’ve begun to see things differently?”

The realization hit him with more force than the colors had, if such a thing was possible. Maybe he was falling in love with Sugawara Koushi, and that was the farthest thing from the way his life had been supposed to go, but then again perhaps his first mistake had been foolishly believing that life actually followed a set formula. “I… don’t know.” He answered weakly. “Maybe?”

He found it difficult to meet his mother’s deep blue gaze. “I know these things can be difficult to work through. I think _he’s_ the one you should be having this conversation with. Not me.” Daichi nodded, sitting in silence for a few moments before making up some excuse about having a lot of homework to finish up and quickly escaping to the solace of his room with his newfound knowledge. 

He’d messed up. He recalled Suga’s words to Asahi: _The two of us are friends. That’s it._ He released a low, humorless laugh in spite of himself. He’d been so insistent that was what he’d wanted. Friends. “No matter what, I’m for you.” Was what he’d promised. He’d made the context painfully clear. How was he supposed to tell Suga, now, that as long as _he_ was for Daichi there was nothing more he needed out of life? For all he knew, Suga had never even considered anything more. With every single smile Suga sent his way, Daichi realized just how screwed he was.

* * *

Suga had cheerfully invited Daichi to come to his house for dinner, saying his mother was dying to meet him. So it happened that he found himself following Suga into his house with clammy palms and his heart pounding in his ears. “Pardon the intrusion,” he intoned politely, slipping his shoes off as he took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. _Really, Sawamura,_ he coached silently, _it’s_ not _that big of a deal_. There should be no reason for him to be this anxious. It was just Suga. The problem was that Suga had become anything but ‘just’.

The moment they’d stepped through the door, a large, silky haired black cat began to wind its way around Suga’s legs. “Yeah, it’s good to see you too.” He grinned at it, leaning down to gently scratch behind its ears and run a hand down its back a few times before straightening once more. “This is the Empress.” He introduced, gesturing towards the cat. “We call her Em.” Daichi tried unsuccessfully to hold in a breathy chuckle.

“Hi.” He said, somewhat awkwardly, holding out his fingertips for the cat to sniff. She nudged his hand suggestively, and he complied, giving her head a few scratches before looking up at Suga.

“She likes you.” The boy beamed. Daichi only nodded in reply. The only pets he had at home were the fish that darted around their tank in the living room, but he didn’t think he minded cats as long as they didn’t draw their claws on him. 

“It looks like Em approves of him.” A cheery voice broke in, and Daichi felt his cheeks flush as he looked up at a woman who couldn’t be anything but Suga’s mother. They were practically identical, down to the warm brown eyes and almost blinding smile. 

“Mom?” Suga stretched a hand in Daichi’s direction and he straightened, the cat stretching her neck hopefully for a few seconds before slinking off with one final glance at him over her back. “This is Sawamura Daichi.” He introduced. “Daichi, this is my mom.”

“Sawamura-kun, it’s so nice to meet you! Koushi’s told me all about you already.”

Daichi didn’t find it difficult to return her warm smile. “It’s nice to meet you as well, Sugawara-san.”

“Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes,” She went on. “Why don’t you join Lin in the living room until then? She’s watching TV.”

“Okay. Thanks Mom!” Suga beckoned for Daichi to follow him and he complied, glancing around him as they walked down the short hallway. The house was a little smaller than his own, but it had a comfortable feel to it. He didn’t feel a bit out of place. 

“Kou-nii!” A shriek of greeting shattered the calm, and a blonde-haired whirlwind bounded to Suga and threw her arms around him. Daichi couldn’t remember if Suga had mentioned having a younger sister or not. “Is this him?” She blurted after releasing Suga from her vice grip. “Is this your soulmate?” Her mouth formed a small O as she looked Daichi up and down.

“Yes, Lin.” He ruffled her hair before turning to Daichi almost apologetically. “This is my sister. She’s seven, and if you let her she’ll demonstrate her ability to talk for five minutes straight without stopping to take a breath.” He sighed but grinned at her affectionately. “I wouldn’t recommend it.” Daichi nodded, eying her warily. He had grown up an only child. Small children made him a little nervous.

“If you’re Kou-nii’s soulmate, are you going to take him away and get married? Can I still see him sometimes? He’s still my brother you know. I’d miss him if you took him away. Maybe you can live here with us instead!” She suggested, humming happily to herself as if it were already settled.

“No…” Daichi responded weakly, feeling the heat radiating from the tips of his ears to the base of his neck. “I’m not – he’s still going to live here with you.”

“Lin.” Suga frowned. “I already talked to you about this, remember? Soulmates work different ways sometimes. Sawamura-san is still going to live at his house with his parents.”

She nodded slowly, brow puckering in thought. “But soulmates still need to be together sometimes, right? It’s okay if you want to be together sometimes.” She said, completely serious. Luckily, Daichi was saved from further discomfort when Suga’s mom called them to dinner.

“I think we need to talk about this again.” Suga whispered to his sister with a sigh as they made their way to the table, silently taking their seats and bowing their heads in thanks for the food. Daichi couldn’t help but wonder where Suga’s father was. He’d assumed he’d be home in time for supper, but maybe he’d had to work late today. Of course, now that he thought about it, Suga hadn’t mentioned anything about his father. Only his mother. He didn’t have much time to mull it over, because he suddenly realized Suga’s mother had asked him a question.

“Sawamura-kun, Koushi says you’ve played volleyball since your fourth year of elementary school?” His mother seemed genuinely curious, giving him another kind smile to set the clenching fist in his middle at ease.

He nodded, grateful for a safe topic of conversation. Volleyball was the one thing he could talk about all day. Slowly, his discomfort began to fade away and he actually found himself enjoying the lighthearted conversation around the Sugawaras’ dinner table. 

“Thank you for dinner.” He said politely after setting his chopsticks carefully next to his plate. “It was delicious.” He wasn’t just saying it either. Suga’s mother was just as good of a cook as his own mother. 

“Oh, you’re welcome of course, Sawamura-kun. Such a polite young man.” She grinned at Suga. “Why don’t you take him up to your room, Koushi? That way you two can work on your homework in peace. I’ll make sure Lin does her own work down here.”

“Are you sure you don’t want any help with the dishes?” Suga gathered his plate, cup, and chopsticks to carry to the sink, and Daichi followed suit.

“Oh, no, you have a guest! I’ll manage tonight, Koushi. Thank you.” She ruffled his hair with a tender smile, and Suga grimaced but Daichi couldn’t hold back his chuckle. “Just run along, boys.”

Daichi grabbed his school bag and followed Suga to his room. If they were going to work on homework, maybe Suga would be able to help him with those math problems he’d been struggling with. When they got there, however, Suga didn’t move to get out his homework. Instead, he took a seat on the bed and gestured for Daichi to join him. To his surprise, the moment he sat down the cat stalked through the doorway and immediately claimed the spot next to Daichi, rubbing her head against his arm until he begrudgingly began to pet her. She was a nice enough cat, he supposed.

“Now you know why I never invited you to my house before.” Suga spoke up once they’d gotten situated. Daichi’s curiosity was piqued at that and he glanced at Suga, puzzled. Suga took a deep breath before continuing. “Your family just seemed so perfect to me. I guess I didn’t know what you’d think of mine. My dad’s gone.” Daichi blinked in surprise. “But not dead.” Suga went on almost bitterly. “It’s sort of a long story. He and my mom… they weren’t soulmates. Mom had her colors for as long as she could remember, and he didn’t have his yet. They were in love, though, so they decided to get married anyway. He said it didn’t matter who his soulmate was, she was the one he loved. She believed him.” His face had gotten tight, and his fists were clenched in his lap. Daichi had a strange urge to reach out and comfort him somehow.

“They were happy, for a little while.” He glanced up to meet Daichi’s gaze. “They had me. We did fun things together sometimes. As a family. Then Mom got pregnant with Lin. He was at home less and less. He told her he was working late. Two months after Lin was born, he packed up his things. Mom was crying. I didn’t understand what was going on or why he was leaving. Mom told me he found his real soulmate and he wanted to be with her. I only saw him twice after that. I didn’t want to at all; not after what he did to my Mom. She didn’t deserve that, you know?” Daichi was surprised to see tears in his eyes when Suga met his gaze once more. “She’s taken such good care of us, all on her own. I couldn’t ask for a better mom. She’s the strongest person I know. I owe her so much. And I don’t owe him anything.” He fell silent at that, and Daichi sat in stunned silence, slowly absorbing everything Suga had told him. Compared to that, his life really had been perfect. Now he understood why there had been tears in Suga’s eyes when he’d told him about his parents being soulmates.

“I’m sorry.” Suga shook his head as if to clear it, blinking quickly. “I… don’t know why I said all that. I guess… it’s just easy to talk to you.” He shrugged, sitting in thoughtful silence for a few moments. “I never knew having a soulmate would be quite like this.” He finally added.

Daichi nodded slowly. Neither had he. “I guess I was always kind of expecting to meet some girl and see my colors, and, I don’t know, we’d go riding off into the sunset together.” He shrugged with a nervous chuckle, suddenly unable to meet Suga’s gaze so he looked down at his hands twisting together in his lap. “I mean, obviously that didn’t happen,” he mumbled to a small burst of laughter from Suga. “And… I kind of don’t mind.” He admitted timidly, flicking his gaze up to meet Suga’s and finding it so sincere and understanding that he had to look back down into his lap. “Somehow it feels like my life wasn’t quite complete until you were in it.” That was as much of a confession as he was able to muster. After a few agonizing moments of silence, he looked up to find Suga’s gaze intent on him, and he realized with a rush of blood to his cheeks that their faces were only separated by mere inches, and it would only take a slight shift of his hand for it to be touching Suga’s.

“Yeah.” Suga blinked quickly and cleared his throat. “I’m really glad to have a friend like you, Daichi.” He shifted away and the odd moment had passed. Daichi would have responded, but his lungs currently felt as though all of the air had been steamrolled out of them. The word _friend_ spoken from Suga’s lips echoed aimlessly through his mind. Was that really all he was to him? Suga helped with his math homework, and afterwards Daichi quickly decided that he should get to bed early that night, so he made his leave. When he left, the smile Suga sent him off with was hollow somehow. It was what he deserved, he supposed.

It still hurt when, over the next few days, Suga seemed to go out of his way to avoid spending any time with Daichi alone. He was his normal cheerful self at practice, and they still ate lunch with Asahi every day, but when the time came to walk home Suga insisted that he had work to finish up in the library, or that his mother wanted him to pick something up at the corner store, or that Asahi wanted to practice spiking with him (The fact that the people who had become his closest friends were purposefully excluding him was the salt in his wound).

Maybe he was embarrassed about Daichi finding out the truth about his family, but there was no reason to be. Maybe he’d noticed the flush on Daichi’s cheeks when they were a mere breath apart and wanted to spare him the pain of unrequited love. Daichi couldn’t decide which option would cause a greater ache in his chest. Without what had become Suga’s constant presence, Daichi felt a little like he’d been cut adrift. One day when he couldn’t take it anymore he had no choice but to confide in Asahi.

Practice was over, and Suga had used the weak excuse of having to study in the library for the second time that week.

“Of course.” Daichi muttered under his breath once Suga was out of earshot.

“He’s pretty busy.” Asahi supplied, startling Daichi.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that!” He yelped.

“Ah… sorry.” Asahi rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Daichi’s gaze softened. He couldn’t afford to lose another friend, even if it was only the glass-hearted goofball.

“It’s not your fault.” Daichi sighed. “I guess I’m a little preoccupied.”

“About?” Asahi seemed so attentive and sincere that Daichi suddenly had the desire to tell him everything.

“Promise you won’t tell this to anyone?” He pleaded before saying anything he’d regret.

“Promise.” Asahi agreed solemnly.

“Okay.” He glanced around, grateful to see that the last of their teammates had finally begun to head towards home. “You remember that day when Suga and I told you about being soulmates, and what Suga said about us just being friends?” Asahi nodded. “Well… I guess I don’t really _feel_ like he’s just my friend anymore.” A strange look crossed Asahi’s face, but he didn’t say anything so Daichi continued. “I guess I’m falling in love with him. This whole thing is pretty much all my fault, because I’m the idiot who was so certain we’d never be anything more than friends. I just had no idea he was so…” He paused, casting around for exactly the right adjective. “Perfect.” Was the one he finally decided on. “And now he’s practically ignoring me, and to be honest I don’t even know what to do with myself anymore.” He finally stopped, gauging Asahi’s reaction. The odd grin that had grown on his face was certainly not what he’d been expecting.

“Are you… laughing at me?” Daichi choked out. Asahi quickly shook his head, eyes widening.

“No.” He was doing his best to wipe the grin from his face. “I guess… you just took me by surprise. But a good surprise. I hope you remember everything you just said, because there’s someone else who’d love to hear it. Especially that ‘perfect’ bit.” It took a few moments for what Asahi had just said to register, but when it did Daichi felt a little bit like he’d been hit by a truck. A truck made of sunshine and rainbows and every other ridiculous thing that for whatever reason made people ludicrously happy.

“Y-you… I…” He sputtered, a surprised, delighted grins lowly spreading between his cheeks. “Are you messing with me right now?” He nearly bellowed.

“No!” Asahi held up his hands in self-defense. “I promise. Just… go. I know you want to. It’s okay.” Daichi didn’t need any more prompting. He spun around so quickly he almost tripped over his own two feet and was sprinting towards the library. He pinched the underside of his arm, hard, on the off chance that he might be dreaming. The ground stayed firm beneath his feet, so he was reassured for the moment.

As the library came into view, a certain ash-blonde figure stepped through the door, looking at the ground so he didn’t notice Daichi approaching. “Suga!” Daichi gasped out, almost breathless. A surprised upwards glance was interrupted by a full-on collision, stepping backwards but just barely staying upright. Confused shock transfigured Suga’s face.

“Sugawara Koushi, I think I’m falling in love with you.” Daichi announced in a gasping breath. Suga was speechless for a few moments, mouth slightly open as he began to process exactly what Daichi had just said.

“You’re…” A slow grin melted across his face, and Daichi decided that it was his favorite yet. “I can’t believe it.” Suga murmured, eyes welling with tears. Daichi began to panic inwardly. Tears were not what he’d been expecting. “I was trying so hard to be your friend.” Suga went on, looking up at Daichi almost shyly. “I knew it was what you wanted, and more than anything I wanted you to be happy.” His voice broke. “But it got really hard. I felt like I had to ignore you, or I’d-” Daichi never did find out what he would have done, because he couldn’t wait a moment longer. His lips collided with Suga’s like they’d been destined to fit in that one space. It was awkward and rushed and Daichi’s teeth may have caught his lip, but the moment he pulled away Suga leaned in to return the favor, softer and sweeter. 

“Daichi… I love you.” Those words spoken from those lips were the one phrase he’d never tire of hearing. The idea of soulmates had never been so appealing to him as it was in that moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's possible that Asahi was a little ooc towards the end. It's possible that I don't really care. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
